Council rejects claims of soil radiation

LETTERS have been sent out to houses in Earley to quell fears of radioactive pollution following an article in a national Sunday newspaper which claimed high levels of plutonium had been found.

Ray Fox, from Wokingham Road, commissioned independent analysis of soil samples from his premises with the results - showing levels of radiation up to 100 times higher than normal -

printed in the Sunday Times last month.

On Thursday, Wokingham District Council responded by releasing details of its own tests, carried out in partnership with the Environment Agency and National Radiological Protection Board, showing only background levels of radiation in the area surrounding Mr Fox's home.

Now the council has sent letters to homes in the area to inform other homeowners of the results and quell any fears of widespread contamination.

A spokeswoman said: "Our tests were not taken from the property of Mr Fox as we do not have access.

"We took tests from the neighbours either side and in front of the property. So our tests are just showing there's no source of contamination in the area so there is no need for other residents to be concerned," she added.

Mr Fox's tests were carried out by independent environmental consultant Dr Kartar Badsha and show levels of uranium and plutonium isotopes far in excess of normal levels.

Measurements from samples under the house show radioactivity of 54.9 becquerels per kilogram - the unit used to measure radioactivity - and up to 21 bq/kg in the garden.

But the Environment Agency tests found "background" levels of radiation in samples from surrounding houses, which is normally between 0.03 and 0.33 bq/kg.

An agency spokesman said: "We can find no evidence of anything happening three-and-a-half feet from his boundary, so contamination must be specifically on his property."

Mr Fox said he is currently pursuing legal action through the European courts for the contamination and had been advised not to let anyone from Wokingham District Council on to his property.

The 51-year-old has exhibited classic symptoms of radiation poisoning since 1995 and dismissed the Environment Agency report as a "pack of lies".

He added: "There is an EC investigation and there will be criminal proceedings against Wokingham District Council."